


When All Else Fails

by S_unglasses (Skaikru1017)



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst, Cannon Divergence, Exodus Charter changes, F/M, Fire, Fluff, Given Prompt., I mean season one was hella good, Kabby, Linctavia - Freeform, Maybe slight bellarke, Non graphic violence, Not really a season one fix it but, Riots, Season 1 Spinoff, Some comfort, hopefully it's a slow burn, lots of danger, my rambling, my tags, some hurt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-21
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-09-26 03:32:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9860540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skaikru1017/pseuds/S_unglasses
Summary: The rules have changed, there is no hope for the 100 inmates currently held in the skybox.The rules have changed, you don't get a review and you don't get mercy.The rules have changed and any criminal 16 and older isn't safe anymore.The rules may have changed but nothing will stop Abigail Griffin from saving her daughter.Rules are made to be broken, and she, along with the help from a man she thought she hated, knew just how to break them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Khaos_Wolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khaos_Wolf/gifts).



Alarms were blaring, lights were flashing, but somehow everything was silent for Marcus Kane. Everything he had done since he woke up had gone against every bit of the persona he had created over the last 22 years. He had been cold-hearted and unforgiving. Upholding the law as if there was nothing else to base choices off of. He lived and breathed the charter set by the founders of the Ark. But as he ushered the frightened teenagers onto the drop ship he asked himself. What had made him change, but it was a stupid question. He knew exactly what, more like who, turned the desolate cavern he called his heart into a lush forest full of life. He just hoped the change wouldn’t be used as a weakness to destroy him, but starting a story in the middle makes no sense. So for the sake of propriety let’s rewind the time to the defining moment in Marcus’ life.

Three weeks ago everything had been perfectly normal. Supplies were still rationed, but they still had a decent stockpile. Rules were strict, survival was all that he focused on. He had his job, it consumed his entire day. Wake up, go to work, have lunch, back to work, sleep, and repeat. Every day after he graduated from the academy at 18, but it only took one day to change it all.

Marcus was making his way to the council room when the radio strapped to his shoulder broke the silence of his routine. ”All available security & medical personnel, we have a 10-34 in the distribution center.” Having been rusty on his code it took his mind a few seconds to remember what the hell a 10-34 was. "Of all things, why a riot? You have got to be kidding me. I would have really preferred not to get beat up today.”

Hurrying to retrieve the required extra gear, and then sprinting to the distribution center, wracking his brain for a reason why a riot had broken out. Rushing to override the emergency lock on the usually automatic doors, hands shaking with adrenaline he was met with a thick gray smoke filling his lungs and burning his eyes. He choked on the toxic gasses trying desperately to find the source of the fire. A wave of heat overcame him, a civilian would have run realizing the extra heat meant the fire was spreading, but Marcus wasn’t a civilian. So he ran towards the fire praying he could put it out before he passed out and burned to death. It took him almost 15 minutes to contain the flames with the few suppressants he found nearby.

He had been stuck in medical for a week suffering from second almost third-degree burns, and a few minor lacerations on his face and arms. He desperately wanted to leave the place, but his efforts were useless. He sat squarely in the domain of Dr.Abigail Griffin, a force to be reckoned with. ”Dammit Kane, you need to lay back down, I’m only doing those stitches once.” ”Well, sorry that I’m concerned with what happened after the fire. For example, structural damages and supply losses. So I apologize for being concerned with the welfare of the Ark, Griffin.”

”Well, sorry that I’m concerned with what happened after the fire. For example, structural damages and supply losses. So I apologize for being concerned with the welfare of the Ark, Griffin.” She sighs rubbing her temples in an attempt to relieve the ache he always puts between them. ”Will you stop being such a jackass if I get you the damn reports?The irritation emanating from the two of them was almost visible. ”Well if caring about the survival of the human race makes me a jackass, then yes."

”Alright, but if I come back and you’re not in bed, I won’t clear you for another two days.”

He rolled his eyes, wondering why she was treating him like a child and why she suddenly cared about his recovery? Holding council reports over his head just to get her way. ”Why are you so concerned about my health? You hate me anyway.” Marcus Kane’s voice was always cold and steely like it flowed straight from the stream of ice running through his veins. But she swore she could hear pain behind his words. The way he grumbled them almost like he was pouting. Maybe he was changing, she’d seen people even farther gone have a change of heart, but she could also be imagining everything. She was more concerned with the welfare of others than herself, sleep deprivation was like her best friend. She spoke words she’d thought she’d never say, sighing as she did so.

”I don’t hate you, Marcus.” It was the first time she'd called him Marcus since they were kids, she could see the effect it had on him. In the way his features softened and his entire body relaxed, but she couldn't stand here and wait for him to say something,  _anything._ She left him with his thoughts, not wanting to hear whatever came to his mind. She walked back into medical, reports in hand to find Kane asleep. Even though she knew it was best for him to rest she couldn’t resist the urge to mess with him. So, she threw the tablet containing the reports “lightly” onto his chest. He jumped up instantly looking like a scared puppy, making her laugh. ”What the hell Griffin.” She smirked, maybe not hating Kane wasn’t that bad after all. "You said you wanted the reports, you didn’t specify how you wanted them to be delivered.” She expected even a small laugh from him, but his silence was unnerving. She turned away from the inventory she was working on to find him staring blankly at the tablet in his hand. Eyes wide, mouth hanging partially opened. ”What’s up with your face? You look like you just saw a ghost?” He didn't look up from the report, just spoke in a fear-laced monotone.”There reducing the execution age. Look, it’s in the summary.” They read each painful word in unison, every syllable like a cut to the wrist. “Due to the recent damages to supplies, all crimes committed above the age of maturity, are capital crimes. Punishable by death. However, due to our inability to sustain the detainees the age of maturity has been reduced to 16 years.”

 

”We’re on the council. We can change. You better be helping me change this. It’s not right.” She tries, already thinking the worst.”I want to change this too but look at the votes. It was unanimous. We couldn’t change it if we tried." He sounded defeated, the usual fire in his eyes was nowhere to be found. He throws the device against the wall with such a force cracks spiral across the once functional screen. He then falls back onto his cot with a painful amount of force, evident from the wince of pain that flashes across his face. ”God this is all my fault. _Dammit_! Jakes dead because of me, and now Clarkes going to die at my hand as well. I've ruined you _enrire fucking life!_  How can you even stand to be close to me?”

She hadn’t realized the reality of this decision until he said those words. She didn’t think it would affect her, but Clarke was in lockup. She was going to be floated, and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. She was going to lose everything because some asshole started a fight he couldn’t finish. So she broke. Everything she had pent up inside came spilling out at once in the form of sobs that wracked her entire body. Tears that welled up so fast she could hardly see. The only thing she knew was real were Marcus’ arms around her, trying to soothe her. Holding her protectively and nothing else. He dipped his head down to her ear and whispered words of hope she never expected to hear from Marcus Kane.”I’m going to fix this if it’s the last thing I ever do. For the kids. For Clarke. _For you_.” She looked up at him, eyes red and vision still blurry. His eyes showed vulnerability, pain, regret. Something she was sure no one else had ever seen from this man. His words shocked her, though, what did he owe her? ”Why for me?”

”Because. Because I… “ He sighed, his mind was refusing to form the words he wanted to say. It was a simple phrase really. It was just impossible to say it to her. He didn’t deserve it so he didn’t take it. ”Because I ruined your life. The least you deserve is your daughter’s survival.” She knew that’s not what he really wanted to say, but their relationship was shaky. She needed him to save Clarke. Pressing him to reveal something he didn’t want to could kill her daughter.

 

”So, how are we going to fix this?”


	2. Salvation is a price itself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Khaos, I don't know if you even remember the prompt you gave me, but I've just been thinking and I really do feel bad for saying I'd create this for you and then just flaking like that.
> 
> But it's been 118 days since praimfaya.... I mean you giving me this prompt and only slightly less since I started it. So I'm not going to make a concrete promise (in fear of breaking it once more) my muse is a fickle being and I'm not exactly busy but often taken up for jobs that take up a great deal of time. All I can promise is by best and pray it passes your test

“So, how do we do this?” he sighed at her question, ignoring it for the task of retrieving the data pad he had thrown in his fit of rage. Picking it up to almost drop it again. “What was that all about?” he appeared dumbfounded again. Seeing Marcus Kane in the state he was now would have been hilarious, under any other circumstances. “Project Exodus.” Abby looked at him with raised eyebrows. She hadn’t been on the council very long. So, she was commonly clueless on their lingo. “English Marcus. I only speak English.” he frowned at her lack of professionalism. “I am speaking English, but we can’t discuss this here. Mine or yours?” She tried to keep a straight face but the laugh bubbling inside was too strong. “Marcus this better not be an elaborate attempt to-” but he cut her off, the rest of her remark served to no purpose. “We don’t have time for jokes,  _ Griffin _ .” Marcus’ voice was just a few octaves short of a growl. “Mine. 20 minutes. Don’t be seen. You already know the code.” Her face was stern, both of their masks firmly in place. Hiding the fear that was desperately trying to claw its way out of them.

 

 

“So, project Exodus? What is it?” he smiled at her eagerness, she sat elbows on knees, staring intently. “Earth. It’s the set of ships and rules that are supposed to take all of us to the ground in a hundred years.” 

 

“You want to take the dropships? What about the rest of the Ark?” the annoyance that buried itself in his face was laughable. “I’m not condemning thousands of lives to save 100 kids. They only need one dropship.” ok so not hating Marcus Kane had its many perks. He can be incredibly hilarious when correctly pissed off. “Most of the guard is loyal to me, not Jaha. Most of them also have kids in lockup, that’s our leverage.” she nodded in agreement, then a slow smile crept across her face. “When do we strike?” 

 

“The change goes into effect in 21 days. I say we move at day 19, just in case, something goes south. We have a small window for a second try.” 

 

“Agreed” she glanced at the clock on the table, “But you shouldn’t leave yet, there will be too many people outside.”  Marcus just smiled and set his datapad back on the table, the smile went from smirk and then the silence broke.

 

“ Abby, this better not be an elaborate attempt to-” 

 

“We don’t have time for jokes, _ Kane.” _

 

*******

The next 18 days were spent gathering followers and informing the prisoners. Abigail was extremely nervous, not because she was breaking the law, that didn’t scare her. But because Marcus had somehow managed to get her access to Clarke, as well as the most well-known delinquents. 

 

“Kane, why the hell are you dragging me here I’m not sick. “

 

Marcus knew why Clarke hated him, he was the reason she was in lockup. Maybe this would change her mind not that he believed for a second he deserved it. “You’ll understand soon enough, now go.” Clarke felt the metal restraints leave her wrists. She hadn’t been out of that cell for weeks and she was excited to be able to socialize. However, the second she walked in she was attacked by a whirl of brown hair and arms. Her eyes lit up when she pulled away from the embrace.

 

“Mom?”

 

“I never thought I’d see you again, but we don’t have much time. We’re sending you to Earth. You need to get ready.” A faded blue jacket was slipped onto her shoulders along with some gloves and a small backpack. “What do you mean Earth?” Her mother sighed, time was not on their side. “The rules have changed, you don’t get a review at 18. They’re going to execute you all in 3 days.” Clarke’s face blanks, her muscles tensing up. “That’s why Kane dragged me in here. We’re all gonna die.” Abby tucks a strand of her daughter's hair behind her ear, then pulling her into a tight hug. “Shh, no. You’re not going to die. Our plan will work.”

 

“What do you mean our…… You’re working with Kane, aren’t you?” Her voice is full of disgust, spitting out his name like it has a bad taste. “This was all Marcus’ idea, but yes.” The door burst open and speak of the devil there was Marcus. “Sorry to interrupt, but we need to go. The other guards are questioning where she is.”

 

“Marcus, I believe you’re forgetting something.” His brow knits, wracking his brain for possible forgotten things. “What is it?”  _ Exactly who you are _ . “The fact that you command the guards. Just tell them to shove it up their asses.” His palm connects with his forehead, peaceful smirks resting on both the adult's faces. Clarke still adorned with a look of disgust and slight confusion. Clarke makes a mental note to ask her mother when she started sharing smiles with Kane, but not now. “I can get you more time with her if we head back to the skybox, but she needs a reason for extended treatment.” Clarke coughs sarcastically, giving him a glare only a Griffin woman could give. “She’s chief medical officer if she says I’m sick and you’ll believe it  _ anyone will believe it.” _

Clarke gawked at both them while they explained the plan. They worked efficiently,  _ together, _ building off one another's ideas without a shred of detest. It confused her, but she listened intently. 

 

_ This was it,  _ she thought,  _ we’re going to earth.  _

 

“We will get any supplies, will the rest of you ever come down, or will it be just us until the Ark…..” Kane frowned, this was a touchy subject for all of them. “Only what comes with the dropship, as for the rest of us, I’m not sure. All I know is I can’t kill a hundred children because of another’s careless mistakes.” 

 

This was a new side to the man who had murdered her father and nearly sealed her to the same fate.  _ She didn’t trust it one bit, _ but if her mother was willing to work with him,  _ if just to save her life at least,  _ she’d bear his presence for the next few hours until the ship launched.

 

Sending her and 99 other helpless teens to either salvation  _ or damnation. _

 


	3. Chapter 3

So here we are again my dear reader, it’s been a short journey into the past, we can discuss it further in good time, but now we must focus on the future. For it is the most important, so bring you back to that moment I first met you, and you first met our dear Marcus. Doing the exact thing he’d  _ never _ thought he’d be doing,  _ breaking the law. _

 

Rules are made to be broken, aren’t _they_?

 

*******

 

Alarms were blaring, lights were flashing, but somehow everything was silent for Marcus Kane. Everything he had done since he woke up had gone against every bit of the persona he had created over the last 22 years. He had been cold-hearted and unforgiving. Upholding the law as if there was nothing else to base choices off of. He lived and breathed the charter set by the founders of the Ark. But as he ushered the frightened teenagers onto the drop ship he asked himself. What had made him change, but it was a stupid question. He knew exactly what, more like who, turned the desolate cavern he called his heart into a lush forest full of life. He just hoped the change wouldn’t be used as a weakness to destroy him. 

 

But the looks on these children’s faces,  _ many of whom he’d personally arrested, _ was what spurred those unnecessary thoughts from his mind and reigned him back to the present. He could dissect his rapidly changing for  _ Dr. Abigail Griffin, _ later, in his cell, because that’s where he was going, and later in the airlock before he’s floated into the infinite abyss.

 

_ Salvation comes at a price; _

 

And to save these kids, it was going to cost him his life, but he didn’t care. When it was all said and done, and if his mother’s teachings proved to be true. They would be reunited and he’d be at peace, atoned for the wash of sins he’d committed.

 

The last of the children were ushered in and strapped to their seats, he could hear the battle of the guards. Two sides clashing, traitor and those still loyal to the Chancellor. He could hear the coursing of electricity from their batons.  _ He wished to walk into the midst and claim his fate. _ For as hard as it seemed Marcus Alexander Kane fought, he was incredibly tired.

 

But it seemed as always, or at least how it used to be before they’d spent 18 days holed up inside whosever quarters had been the most convenient to reach. Sitting shoulder to shoulder pouring over notes, diagrams, and charts. All pertaining to the fact that

 

  1. A) They’re all going to die a slow or violent oxygen deprived death.



 

Or

 

  1. B) They’re going to save those kids. 



 

 

Now, that almost-friendly air was gone replaced with a brutally pissed off doctor. “ _ What are you doing?” _ She hisses, grabbing his arm and pulling him back inside the ship. “Buying you more time, Sinclair needs at least another ten minutes to tie out of all the systems.” 

 

“No.” He has the urge to remind her just exactly  _ who he his, _ but it doesn’t seem appropriate for the protective anger racing in her eyes and tone. “Abby…” 

 

“ _ No! _ Now you listen to me  _ Marcus Kane _ , you’re ass is going to the ground whether you like it or not and I swear if you quote some piece of literature about atonement I will knock you the hell out and drag you down to that damned planet do you hear me?” He hasn’t the slightest idea what to say so he nods gruffly, slipping back into his role as commander and not lawless criminal.

 

Clarke beckons to her, strapped to the seat and unable to move. “What was that?” Only now does Abby realize how quiet the ship is, and how many eyes are rooted to either her or Marcus.  _ Or the fact that he’s now Marcus and not Kane. _ Truthfully she didn’t know what _ that _ was, or rather she didn’t want to say it. Not out loud and especially not in front of her daughter. “He aced Earth skills, we need him.” It was a weak answer and Clarke clearly didn’t believe it, but there was no time to explain. As the guards loyal to the resistance were being pushed back heavily by Jaha’s men. “Seal the doors,” Abby attempted to order one of the guards, but he didn’t move. Just looked at her like she had no place even speaking to him. “Do as she says,” Marcus commands, spurring the man into action. 

 

They sealed the doors just in time for the chancellor to break through the crowd and attempt to open the doors. “Kane,” he barked through the intercom,” What the hell are you doing?” Marcus puts down the supply sheet, standing menacingly on the other side of the door. Only a sheet of plexiglass separating the men. “What’s right.” Marcus looked back at the kids, most of them people he’d personally arrested, some years ago. Others not even months ago. “This is madness _,_ _you’ll destroy us all_.” Thelonious shouts, a wild and crazed quality to his eyes and tone. Abby watches in horror as guards come carrying a hydraulic mechanism, one that with enough leverage could pry the doors open. She looks over at Sinclair, furiously clicking at the systems and monitors.  She turned back to Marcus, suddenly amazed by how he refuses Thelonious. A man he had sworn fierce loyalty to from the moment he won the ballot. “I won’t let you murder a hundred children because you see them as useless, _expendable._ We tape the council meetings,” in a lower hushed tone he adds “did you really think the public wouldn’t find out.” Jaha snarls, ordering the guards to open the door, and shouting abuse when they can’t do it. Sinclair shouts, startling them all. “Sir, we’re ready for launch.” Marcus is just about to give the go ahead when Jaha speaks again, something threatening in his low voice. “There’s a secondary system that prevents ships from being launched without a go-ahead from Earth monitoring…… if you launch, _everyone on this Ark will die.”_

 

 

“Release them then,” Marcus says with a shrug, “If you don’t, their blood is on your hands.” The Chancellor looks at his commander with disgust, shouting more obscenities at the guards attempting to wrench pry bars between the doors. “I will not allow you to damn us all to this prison for eternity.” 

 

“Then may you die by the weight of a thousand souls,” Marcus bellows with a sinister chuckle, ordering the launch to proceed. 


End file.
